coyotegirl

WOW, just 6 days away! Good luck and praying for a speedy recovery! I am also a teacher (preschool that is) but we are open year round. Wish I could get a summer off. I was back to work the following week after surgery with 30 4 year olds!

Alex, Yes I only get one shot a year. I am not sure how it works either but IT DOES FOR ME!! I hate taking pills if I can avoid it so this is the way to go for me.

If you go to obesityhelp.com you can print out restaurant cards. It't under quick links on the bottom of the page. I also would rather take home leftovers, so I have never used my card. I carry information about my band in my wallet but I also wear a mecical ID bracelet. If you are in a accident, the paramedics will not look in your wallet unless directed there by a ID bracelet. Hope this helps.

Patty, I'm not a trucker, but wanted to welcome you to LBT!! Lap-Band land is a wonderful journey to take!!

Welcome to LBT!! Wow only 7 days to go before your big day! Good luck on your journey to a healther you!!

Thanks for posting Penni, I am sending lots of prayers of a speedy recovery for Estella!!

Way to go Girl!!!!! I got my ears pierced by my Daddy when I was 16. 2 in both ears.(bottom) He used clothes pins and Ice to numb them. Then stuck a needle through!!I can still hear the needle going through! (Yuck) Then he put in the studs. I still have them today! I got the top part of my ear pierced about 10 years ago at a beauty shop. They used a gun. As fo a tattoo, No way! I love them but am tooooo scared of them. Why not get a chili pepper? Because you are gunna be one HOT mama!!! I am so happy for you,

OH Alex, Hang in there,this too shall pass. I get a allergy shot (Kenalog) every year. Can't live without it! Ok Maybe I could, But I don't want to!!! Hang in there!! ((((((BIG HUG)))))

Crystal, What a FANTASTIC NSV!!! Congratulation! Why don't you post a picture in your skinny little @ss in those new threads? LOL Lucky Girl!

Man what three weeks I have just had! My computer went out 3 weeks ago Friday. Don't know why but it just did. Nothing but a blue screen. I have a Dell so I called them for help. Well did you know that all Dell tech support is in India? I didn't, but I do now! We tried all kinds of trouble shooting with no results. so they had to send me a couple of CD's. They said I would get them in 3 to 4 days. Well after 4 days I called DHL to see where they were and they said that they only had my po box and they needed my street #. So I was going to give it to them but they said they had to get it from Dell. I called dell and told them what was needed. Waited another few days then called DHL to see where it was they had the wrong street # they were missing 1 #. Called Dell again and gave then the # again. waited a few days called DHL. They said they had the street# but not the street name.OMFG!! Called dell again and told them what was up. So they again called DHL with the correct address. I finally got the CD's on Friday morning. Called Dell and told them I had the CD's. (voice mail) and they finally called me back Saturday afternoon. I LOST EVERYTHING ON MY COMPUTER!!! I am just sick. I lost all of my family pictures and my weight loss journal EVERYTHING!! I learned my lesson. put everything on cd's. Sorry to ramble but I have missed all of you terrible!! I didn't realize how addicted to LBT I was until I couldn't get here. My Weight loss is slowly but shirley going down. With all the stress I thought I would gain , NO I am down another 5lbs. YEA!!! I go for another fill next Tuesday with my Surgeon under Flouro. I can eat anything I want to right now but don't because I will NOT FAIL THIS TIME!!! I hope everyone else is doing great and I will try to catch up on my PM's as soon as I can. Love ya and missed ya and GLAD to be back!!!

Penni, I am sooooo happy for you!! That is GREAT news! (((HUGS)))

Pansy, Welcome to LBT! I also hope you are able to get the band, It is the best thing I have done for my health!! Good luck and again Welcome!!

Hi Heather!! Welcome to LBT!!! My port hurt me for a few months after. But it is allllll worth it!! isn't the weight loss fun? I love my band!! Good luck!

Hi, I didn't go to Mexico for my band, but I wanted to say Welcome to LBT!! Just keep searching and you will find lots of wonderful information here!! Good luck!

Wow I really don't know what Medicare's requirements are. I went with my Dr.'s requirements and didn't really think about Medicare's. I quess my Dr. and Medicare have the same requirements because I was aproved right away. BMI 40 or over or 2 other health factors. documentation on ALL diets I have been on for as far back as I can remember, how much I lost on those diets and how much I gained back. (ALL) I did not have a 6 month monitored weight loss with a Dr. I had to go to large group seminars and then small group ones. Yes I had to see a shrink (only one time) Then one appt. with a nutritionest. I think that was about it other than all the pre-op testing. Good luck, I hope this helps.

Hi Tee, I feel nothing but pressure when getting a fill. I have had 4 and I NEVER feel pain. They give me a shot to numb the area. I just lay there and chat with the Dr. and his nurse while its being done. NO BIG DEAL!! Don't be scared! I lay down to get my fills because I have a disability but I quess some stand up if they are getting theirs with Fluroscope. I don't know, I quess it all depends on the Dr. I had to have 3 fills before I felt any good restriction and am super happy with my 4th fill. All Dr.'s are different with what to do after a fill. Mine has me do liquids for 24 hours after a fill. As for how fast does the weight come off? Well that all depends on you. Eat right and excersice and it should come off fast enough. The norm is about 1-2lbs a week. Good luck and you will do great!!!!

I don't know how strong your stomach is but I could not take adult tylenol. I had to use childrens liquid or I got very sick. It just depends on the person. Michelle is right, Pack light. I packed waaaaaaay too much. My hospital provided me with socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shampoo, lotion etc.. TAKE CHAP STICK OR LIP BALM!!!!! I used a ton of that. And as many have posted here before.... DON'T FORGET TO SHAVE YOUR LEGS!!! Good luck and I will say a special prayer for you.

Ok I ate way too much this weekend! Saturday was my 42nd birthday and boy did I celebrate! Friday The girls at work got me a pepperoni pizza, cake and Ice cream. I ate everything. 2 pices of pizza, large piece of cake and 2 scoops of ice cream. YUMMMMMM. Then Friday night My friends took me out for Mexican food (My favorite) 3 enchaladas, beans and rice and of course chips and salsa. I was good as I didn't have anything to drink with dinner. Saturday My family also took me out for Mexican food. ate the same as Friday night. I also had double stuffed oreos and a Ice cream cake from Dairy Queen! See I told you I was bad! Today I did very good! woke up at 4:30a.m. excercised then Had all the right foods today. I am back on the right track. Good thing Birthdays only come once a year!!!!

WOW, Megan You are one HOT chick!!! Congratulation on the 70 lbs. can't wait for the 100lbs lost picture. OK are you a little tipsey in the last picture? lol You go girl!!

YES, Medicare paid for my band! Not all but a very good portion of it. I had NO problem getting approved and they have not turned down anything. Not even my fills. Out of my pocket I have paid about $1,000. Not all at once but 20 here or 20 there. I am on Medicare because of a spinal disability.

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "I BRAKE FOR MOTORCYCLES!!" I was raised around motorcycles all my life. My parents went all over the US on their Harley. My Dad had a vest with a white map of the US on the back and whenever he went to a state he would color in that state. He only had one state to go before he died. I can remember him being mad about that one state because it was Vermont. and we live in AZ. He said he should have stuck is big toe in it when he was so close.. He said he would get there. He didn't. I'm sure he is riding his Harley in Heaven so I sure he got there.

Hi Shelley, Yes I was inflated with gas for my surgery. My stomach stuck out before surgery but you should have seen it after! WHOOOOOOOOOO!! You just walk around as much as possible after surgery and it leaves you the same way all gas leaves your body. Out your mouth with a burp or out the other end with a fart! Mine wasnt too bad! Some have a lot of pain with it. After a few days it's gone. I was on a 10 day liquid diet before surgery that ended up being a 15 day liquid diet because my surgery was pushed back a few days. Some people have to go on a liquid diet but some don't, It all depends on you surgeon. The only thing I could drink was clear surgar free drinks and 3 cups of milk a day. SF Jello, SF pops, oh yea I could have 1 fudgesicle a day. It was hard but I did it. Just thinking about the end results helped. Good luck with your surgery next month! If you have any more questions just ask away. This board is the best place I have found for answers.

Well, When I got to the hospital at 6:00a.m. I was told to strip down to nothing and put on those no back gowns. The nurse tried to put in my IV's but had a hard time. She got one but I needed one on the other hand also. Several tried and failed. They said my veins move. So they just waited until I was under to do the other one. It was there when I woke up. My surgeon then came over and talked to me for a min. They gave me something in my IV's and I got very dizzy. They said it was normal. When I was wheeled into OR I remember my surgeon talking to me (don't remember what he said) and I remember the nurses putting on those wonderful boots on my legs. After that I remember NOTHING! The next thing I heard was the nurse calling my name. I remember being mad and thinking "why don't they just get this over with?" then the nurse called my name again and said it was over. "OH" They had me cough a little and then gave me a little Ice chips, (very little) Man was I thursty!!! I had NO pain! I stayed in recovery for about 1 hour then off to my room. My mom and brother were there waiting for me. I slept on and off for most of the morning and then was sitting on the side of my bed off and on. ( not much walking for me because I have a spinal disease) They would come and get me for test through out the day. That was the only time I had any real pain. It was very hard to lay flat on my back and for the test I had to. I didn't sleep very well that night. and about 4 in the am I was having pain because I had not peed since before surgery! over 20 hours! I didn't think anything about it because I wasn't drinking. I forgot about all the IV's they were putting in me. So they had to cath me. YUCK!!!!!!!!! My Dr. wouldn't let me go home the next day until I had peed on my own. They took the cath out a few hours later and then 4 hours later, I PEED!!!!! So later that afternoon Home I Went!! Hard trip home because it was a 3 hr drive. Then from then on everything was and is great!!! I love my band!!!

I went to a local Dr. here for other reasons and talked to her about my Band.(she is also a bandster and trained to do fills) I told her that I would love to have her do my fills for me but my port was sooooo deep that you need fluoro to do it. My surgeon has tried on many occasions without success. She said she would try and Quess what??? She found it and gave me a fill! First stick! They only thing I am worried about now is that she could only pull out 2.2cc's. I know for a fact I had more than that in there. I have a 10cc band and my first fill was 3cc's and my 2nd was about that. this was my 4th fill. Where is the cc's going? OH where, OH where have my cc's gone? OH where, OH where can they beeee? I was very excited about having it done localy and without fluoro. The cost was only 75$ compaired to $200. No time off work and no loooooong trip to see my surgeon.

Thanks all, Yes Lisa I do plan on going to my surgeon and flouro for my next fill. I don't want to ever take a chance with my band. I have a pretty good restriction now so hopefully it will continue. If there is not enough in there next time I will ask him about it. Michelle, I am not sure about air in my tubing?? Something to think about! Thanks again guys!! :D